Penn State vs. EMU

Should I go to Penn State Main Campus or Eastern Mennonite University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Penn State or EMU is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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Penn State Main Campus vs. Eastern Mennonite University comparison
Penn State Main Campus Eastern Mennonite University College 3 College 4
Penn State Main Campus Eastern Mennonite University
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Overview

 Penn State EMU
Location University Park, PA Harrisonburg, VA
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 50,028 1,334
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #167 #215
Religious Affiliation - Mennonite Church - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu emu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State EMU
Tuition (In State) $18,368 $40,590
Tuition (Out of State) $35,946 $40,590
Room & Board $12,744 $12,240
Avg Net Price $26,747 $23,783
Avg Grant Aid $10,066 $30,460
% Receiving Grant Aid 44% 96%

Admission

 Penn State EMU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 85,784 1,144
Admitted 47,360 1,138
Acceptance Rate 55.2% 99.5%
Enrolled % 19.5% 17.8%
Avg High School GPA - 3.7
Typical High School Grades - A-
Admissions Standards Very High Elite
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 26/31 25/34
SAT Range 1210/1390 1040/1590
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline

Academics

 Penn State EMU
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Health Professions (30%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (5%)
  • General Studies (5%)

Outcomes

 Penn State EMU
Graduation Rate 87% 66%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $43,900
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 80%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $23,450
Median Loan Payment $277 $242

Diversity

 Penn State EMU
% Men 53% 34%
% Women 47% 66%
Racial Diversity Medium Low
HBCU No No
% White 69% 71%
% Black 4% 10%
% Hispanic 6% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 11% 3%
% Unknown Race 2% 2%

Students

 Penn State EMU
% In-State 51% 68%
% Out-of-State 40% 27%

Campus

 Penn State EMU
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required Yes No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes Yes
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than EMU based on total student enrollment (50,028 students vs. 1,334 students)

Penn State vs. EMU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State or EMU?

  • Eastern Mennonite University is 121% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($40,590.00 vs. $18,368.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 12.9% higher at EMU than Penn State Main Campus ($40,590.00 vs. $35,946.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Eastern Mennonite University than Penn State ($23,783 vs. $26,747)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Eastern Mennonite University are 4.1% lower than costs at Penn State Main Campus ($12,240 vs. $12,744)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Eastern Mennonite University than Penn State Main Campus (96% vs. 44%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Eastern Mennonite University students is 202.6% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($30,460 vs. $10,066)

Penn State vs. EMU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Penn State or EMU? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between EMU or Penn State .

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Main Campus (1202) is 193 points higher than at EMU (1009)
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at EMU (22)
  • EMU has a higher acceptance rate (99.5%) than Penn State (55.2%)

Penn State vs. EMU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State or EMU? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between EMU and Penn State.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than Eastern Mennonite University (87% vs. 66%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus earn on average $11,400 more per year than EMU graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $43,900)
  • Eastern Mennonite University students graduate with a $3,368 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($23,450 vs. $26,818)
  • EMU graduates are paying $35 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($242 vs. $277)
  • More EMU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (80% vs. 69%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/